Adding just four exercises to your fitness routine in midlife can help prevent muscle loss and preserve strength, according to a leading physiotherapist.
Research has long suggested that strength training, using just bodyweight, can help significantly slash the risk of a number of health conditions and turn back the biological clock.
The NHS recommends that adults should be active everyday and undertake at least 150 minutes of moderately intense activity or 75 minutes if vigorous activity a week.
But as we age, muscle mass gradually deteriorates, and joints become stiffer and weaker over time.
To combat this, the health service also recommends strengthening exercises that work all major muscle groups including the legs, back and abdomen at least two days a week.
But now Fikri Fikriev, a physiotherapist at Physiotherapy Matters has shared four simple exercises to implement in midlife to make ageing easier, reducing back pain and supporting muscle growth.
‘As we age, naturally the joints can become stiffer and our muscles lose strength,’ he told the Mirror.
‘The rate of muscle mass loss depends on age and lifestyle, but we gradually begin to lose muscle mass from around our 30-40s.’
Studies have previously shown that vigorous activity — such as running, swimming or tennis — at least once a week is needed to ward off musculoskeletal pain in the long-term
From around 65-years-old, this process can speed up––in some cases reaching around 8 per cent muscle mass per decade.
Mr Fikriev added: ‘This can have an effect on your mobility and energy levels, hence why it is essential to have a balanced routine that helps to preserve strength and mobility as we age.’
To do this and ease the effects of ageing, Mr Fikriev shared four simple exercises to perform around three to four times a week in midlife for maximum health benefits, stressing that ‘consistency is key’.
Two leg bridge
This straightforward exercise is an easy way to ease back pain, whilst building core stability which helps with everything from posture to bladder control.
To perform the exercise simply lie on your back with your knees bent and feet firmly planted on the ground, hip-width apart.
Push your hips towards the sky to form a bridge shape with your body, making sure to push down through your heels and being careful to keep your tailbone tucked in.
‘Bridge exercises and hip thrusts can improve back pain, as well as hip, hamstring and glute strength,’ Mr Fikriev explained.
‘Additionally, bridge exercises can help strengthen the core and pelvic floor. This is very important, especially in women who struggle with bladder control, such as older adults, after pregnancy, or due to stress.’
This exercise can also be modified for more of a challenge, with the option to incorporate weights, add pulses or lift one leg as you thrust upwards.
Glute bridges can help ease back pain and improve posture, as well as strengthening the core
Wall push-ups
‘Push up exercises are a great way to improve posture and upper body strength, such as in your back, chest and core,’ the physiotherapist explained.
For people who are just starting out on their fitness journey, a wall-push up is a great alternative to the classic exercise. Place your hands against the wall, shoulder-width apart, and bring your chest towards the wall and then push it away.
For more of a burn, try and keep your elbows tucked in close to your body. As you build strength, try adding more reps or position yourself further away from the wall to build resistance.
‘Push-ups also help to improve heart health, lose body weight and fat, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol’, Mr Fikriev added.
It has long been proven that exercise strengthens the heart and lowers blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease.
By minimising metabolic risk factors, exercising in midlife can have a preventative effect preserving muscle mass and slowing down biological ageing.
These simple exercises can then be modified once you have built a good base level of core strength and mobility
Sit to stand
Whilst it might sound overly simple, moving from a sitting position to standing can help strengthen muscles we rely on for everyday movement. This functional conditioning helps to keep joints flexible, reducing risk of inflammation and joint pain.
As you progress, you can also start adding in squats and lunges to increase your range of motion.
Calf raises
‘Calf raises offer several benefits, including improved balanced, improved ankle stability and mobility, and enhanced strength,’ Mr Fikriev explained.
The simple movement involves alternating between a tip-toe stance and being flat footed on the ground. Again, this exercise can be modified with the addition of weights, or by performing the exercise on one leg and then the other.
The physiotherapist added: ‘This exercise can also improve lower limb blood circulation, which reduces sprains and helps prevent falls.
It can also help reduce the risk of tendonitis––where a tendon becomes inflamed causing pain and joint stiffness.
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